Are we in a constitutional crisis?

President Trump's blizzard of executive orders has run into a snowplow of legal challenges. There are dozens of cases challenging the White House's actions. Judges all over the country have found that the White House acted illegally.

The challenges, and the rulings, continue to pour in.

But Trump's team is punching back. After a judge blocked Elon Musk's DOGE team from accessing personal data and other Treasury department systems, Musk referred to him as "a corrupt judge protecting corruption" and called for his impeachment.

Vice President JD Vance made the controversial claim on Sunday that quote, "judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power."

Comments like these suggest Trump's circle may be willing to ignore court orders and defy judicial authority.

So what happens if the executive branch ignores the judicial branch? Is that a constitutional crisis? Is the United States already in one?

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org

Email us at considerthis@npr.org

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy